Sweet Dreems: How A Sleep Issue Led Hayley Dawes To Found A CBD Brand

2 years ago

The Dreem Distillery founder gives her take on the CBD boom

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CBD has become a must-have in our armoury of potions and lotions. We meet the founder of Dreem Distillery, Hayley Dawes, to tell us why we’re all hooked…

Sweet Dreems: How A Sleep Issue Led Hayley Dawes To Found A CBD Brand

Hayley Dawes

What’s this explosion of CBD been about?

CBD is taking the world by storm. From relative obscurity just a few years ago, the industry has exploded into a multi-billion dollar a year market.

The curiosity of the general population is very much increasing as CBD proliferates society more and more. There’s increasing pharmaceutical, medical, and scientific interest which is leading to more and more studies about the efficacy and specific CBD applications. It’s a genuinely good product that thousands and thousands of consumers swear by.

What were you doing before you set up Dreem Distillery?

I have been in the world of interior design and property development for the past 10 years. I spent years creating wonderful houses and beautiful environment for other families to live in but struggling to find tranquillity in my own home. For years I suffered with crippling insomnia, finding only marginal success through the more conventional methods of bedtime relaxation. The game-changer came when I discovered the transformative power of CBD as an aid to restful and restorative sleep.

So much of us suffer from sleep problems, what did you try before discovering CBD?

I tried absolutely everything available to me. Ten years ago sleep wasn’t a topic for conversation so there was minimal information available in order for me to educate myself further. I tried CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) which did make small improvements but I was so anxious about going to bed that it was tricky to change my mindset. I ended up living on prescription Xanax which was a quick fix giving me five to six hours of sedation. Little did I know, they made me feel depressed and I didn’t feel at all restored the following day. I tried calming teas, having a light meal in the evening but the more regimented I became, the worse my sleep was. I was putting so much effort into trying to get the perfect night’s sleep and was achieving very little restorative sleep.

What’s the best way to take CBD?

There are a multitude of ways to take CBD. Personally, I take our Night Drops under the tongue every evening – they take about 20 minutes to enter the bloodstream so are effective very quickly. With regard to pain, I would recommend a topical approach as CBD can be absorbed into the skin.

Can creams and balms really do anything?

Creams and balms really do work. There’s a high concentration of cannabinoid receptors in the skin, and when CBD is applied topically, it activates the endocannabinoid system through those receptors. CBD binds to the cannabinoid receptors in your epidermal and dermal skin, a process that results in alleviation of pain and inflammation.

Of course, like everything it depends on potency and the type of CBD. We use broad spectrum CBD and it is the power of the plant which is the magical key to success. We have had many customers repeatedly purchase our Bed Balm as it really does help with arthritic pain, muscle aches and tension and even the onset of migraines. A few customers have even used it on mosquito bites – a miracle salve.

You have four children, how do you carve out time for yourself?

Great question! Right now, it is really full on as are plenty of other people’s lives. My non-negotiable is my daily pilates or weights class which I do first thing in the morning. I do it for my body and mind and enjoy every single second.

Best relaxation hacks you can share with us?

Since launching Dreem Distillery, I have made it my mission to educate myself on relaxation techniques that I now have at my fingertips. My number one go-to is always a warm bath pre bedtime pouring in our The Z’s anchoring bath soak or Into the Deep bath concentrate. I also call upon nature increasingly to help relax me – I need to be outside, whether that’s a change of scene or long walks, or simply a bike ride across London. I try to go in an infra red sauna two to three times a week which helps me relax and stay away from my computer. In occasion I treat myself to a massage – a one hour massage feels like a mini break.

Vision for the brand?

Dreem’s vision is single minded as we want to really focus on sleep and help others turn those elusive nights of restorative sleep into a regular, every night occurrence. After all, a good night gives a good day. A staggering 36 percent of UK adults struggle to get to sleep at least once on a weekly basis.

The vision goes one step further in that despite there being plenty of CBD products on the market, most come in the form of CBD isolate. The significant difference with isolates is that they don’t contain some of the key relaxing terpenes, which make a high-quality CBD more powerful – and that’s the key to unlocking the power of the hemp plant, as an aid to facilitating restful and restorative sleep.

Dreem Distillery CBD Night Drops, £75, dreemdistillery.co.uk

Your favourite product and why?

Tricky. However, I am going to say our Night Drops – they are without doubt my number one essential – I don’t go anywhere without them. Our Night Drops are potent broad-spectrum CBD and contain specific plant terpenes chosen for their stress and anxiety reducing properties.

How do you live a life in balance?

Starting a new business never seems to bring about much balance but I do my best. I have four young children and seem to have a job as a taxi driver in the evening and weekends to all of their football matches. I sometimes take my computer and work off a hot spot, but generally I try to force myself to walk around the pitches and switch off at least for a short while.